Below are the guidelines given to the designers of the session proposals.

General Guidelines

• Incomplete submissions will NOT be considered.
• Sessions will be chosen based on our agenda decision matrix:
  • NTC Steering Committee and NTEN Board Recommendations: 33%
  • Community Voting: 33%
  • NTEN Discretion: 34%
• Submission of a session proposal does not guarantee that you will be chosen as the session designer. You will be considered for the role if you indicate your interest in leading the session on the survey.
• Priority will be given to NTEN members but NTEN membership is not required to lead a session.
• NTC Sessions are all 90 minutes with the exception of 3-hour hands-on workshops. It's your decision how that time will divide out. We do recommend that you plan for plenty of Q/A and discussion.
• NTEN values diversity in all of our programming and encourages submissions from those who are traditionally under-represented in technology. 
• NTC session designers and speakers will still be required to purchase NTC registration. 

Session Guidelines & Definitions

• Session Title: Please enter the title you would like to present this session under.
• Session Track: Please enter the track you believe the session best aligns with:
  • Communications: Sessions in the Communications Track will focus on ideas and examples to help you build and strengthen relationships with your community, including: clients, supporters, media, and decision-makers. These sessions will let you explore and learn from the lessons of successful (and failed) efforts to integrate new communications technologies and tactics while also providing tangible guidance and inspiration for your own communications programs.
  • Fundraising: The Fundraising Track aims to explore the many ways that technology and the Internet continue to shape fundraising practices. Sessions in this track will help you create a plan, understand prevailing practices, and develop innovative new ideas.
  • Leadership: Designed for the decision makers at any nonprofit, the Leadership Track will guide you in providing a vision for the role of technology in your organization, help you lead your organization to that vision, and provide a framework for making smart technology decisions.
  • IT Staff: This track is for staff and consultants who manage and support technology infrastructure. This is a resource-sharing track for all nonprofit techies, no matter how you arrived at your role, looking to share success stories, challenges, voice concerns, and glean wisdom from each other.
  • Program: The Program Track is designed for the individuals on the front lines, serving their communities. In this track, you'll explore some of the most cutting edge applications of technology today – from location-based services to effective strategies for tracking and using data for organizational impact – and learn how technology can increase not only your efficiency, but your effectiveness.
• Session Theme: The NTC Steering Committee has discussed major themes that we'll use to guide us as we decide which sessions to cover in each track (Leadership, IT Staff, Communications, Fundraising, and Program) of the conference agenda. Please choose the NTC Guiding Theme your proposal best aligns with.
• Session Takeaways: Please list the 3 takeaways or learning outcomes that attendees should expect to walk away from your session with a better understanding of.
• Session Level: Please indicate what level you believe the session is best for.
  • Novice: This session assumes attendees have no experience in the specific technologies to be presented. This means that there will be no jargon and all acronyms will be clearly spelled-out and defined.
  • Apprentice: This session's participants have some experience in specific tools or technologies to be presented. Their knowledge base is likely to be inconsistent across the board because it has been primarily built by on-the-job necessity. They are generally looking to fill in the gaps in their knowledge or deepen their understanding of a specific tool or concept. Jargon should be minimized and well defined when used.
  • Journey-Level: This session’s participants are often considered by their colleagues to be experts in the topic to be presented, whether that expertise is narrowly confined to a single tool or industry-wide. They assume a high level of discourse that includes the jargon and acronyms common in the field. Sessions in this category should focus on a single tool or platform to best accommodate what is likely an eclectic knowledge base.
• Session Classification: Please indicate whether you believe the session has a strategic or technical focus.
• Session Style: Choose which session style you would like to present the content in. Please note that the workshop style is a 3-hour session. All other styles will be be in 90-minute sessions.
  • Solo: One presenter, formal presentation / 90 minutes
  • Duo: Two presenters, formal presentation / 90 minutes
  • Panel: Panel discussion with multiple viewpoints / 90 minutes
  • Workshop: Interactive, hands-on learning, tangible takeaways / 3 hours
  • Salon: Moderated by someone with topical knowledge with a set description and takeaways. Not your typical presentation but a peer-sharing session. Come prepared to circle the chairs, rock the flip charts, and meet your community, and remember: Real Techies Talk to Each Other. / 90 minutes
  • Birds of a Feather: A meeting of like-minded folks on a specific interest or topic, no formal agenda or takeaways. Social networking is the only outcome.
• Session Tags: Please choose up to 3 applicable tags for your session.
• Personal Information: Please provide your name, title, organization, and a short bio (250 word limit). This is also where you may indicate who you think should design and present the session you are proposing. If your session involves a panel, you may also indicate other potential speakers. Please note that your session proposal will appear anonymously during the NTC Community Vote.